From UM Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – The eighth-most played opponent in Ole Miss men's basketball history, the Rebels are looking to even the series at 27-27 when playing in Oxford against the Vols, as they host Tennessee on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. in the SJB Pavilion.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (8-4, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (72-65) • 541-328 career record (28th Season)
#7 Tennessee Volunteers (10-2, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Rick Barnes • 8th Season at Tennessee (160-83) • 764-397 career record (36th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Courtney Lyle
Color: Mark Wise
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Eli Savoie
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. TENNESSEE
The eighth-most played series in Ole Miss men's basketball history continues with the 122nd meeting, as Tennessee enters the series with a 76-45 lead. The Rebels trail by only one game when playing in Oxford (26 wins to 27 losses), and have evened the series over the past 14 meetings at seven wins each. The two programs first met on January 28th and 29th in 1924, with the Rebels taking the first two games by a score of 36-17 and 24-13, both played in Oxford. The Vols and Rebs first met in the postseason on March 3, 1938 in the SEC Tournament, with Ole Miss picking up the win 45-40. The Rebels own a 7-5 all-time record when meeting Tennessee in the postseason, last matching up in the SEC Tournament on March 6, 2012 where Ole Miss won a 77-72 overtime game (also giving the Rebels a 5-1 record against Tennessee in overtime games at the time).
LAST MEETING: JANUARY 5, 2022 (L, 60-66 (OT), KNOXVILLE, TENN., THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA)
• The Rebels took an early lead on the 18th-ranked Vols, up 21-19 at the half.
• The Vols climbed back in to force overtime, before winning by six in the extra five-minute period.
• Tye Fagan scored a career-best 23 points, connecting on five makes from three. Matthew Murrell added 17 points with four three-pointers.
AN OLE MISS WIN WOULD...
...give the Rebels nine wins in a season before the new calendar year for the third time under Kermit Davis.
...even the series at 27 wins each between Ole Miss and Tennessee when playing in Oxford.
...give Ole Miss their eighth win over a ranked opponent under Kermit Davis, and their second over a top-10 foe.
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 13.3 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 21st in college basketball in offensive boards per game. The team is led by senior transfer Myles Burns with 34 offensive rebounds (2.8 per game, 6th in the SEC).
DAE-FFICIENT
Ranking second on the team with an average of 9.6 points per game, Daeshun Ruffin has taken advantage of his time on the court since returning from injury on Dec. 3rd at Memphis. Scoring 48 points in 94 minutes, Ruffin leads the team in points per 40-minutes at 20.4.
WHEN IT COUNTS
Ole Miss has been especially strong in the second half this season, shooting 48.4 percent overall in the back half while outscoring opponents 458-389 (38.2 points per second half, +5.8 scoring margin). Additionally, the Rebels have put up a +4.1 rebounding margin in the second half this season, while junior Matthew Murrell is averaging 9.2 points per second half this season. At the ESPN Events Invitational, Ole Miss shot a blistering 55 percent overall, led by 14.3 points per second half by Amaree Abram, who was also 5-of-6 from three and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the back half.
DEEP POCKETS
The Rebels' depth has been on full display to begin the season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for over a third of the team's scoring through their first 12 games (37.4%, 314 of 840 points). The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in nine of 12 contests, and are outscoring their foes' benches by 130 on the year (314 to 184). Their 26.2 points per game off the bench rank fourth in the SEC.
MM11
Junior Matthew Murrell has wasted no time lighting the net on fire this season, picking up right where he left off last season as one of the most feared three-point shooters nationwide. Murrell ranks 11th in the SEC in threes per game (2.3) and tied for seventh in total threes made (27). His 15.6 points per game average is tied for eighth in the conference, and he has eclipsed 20 points in four games this season. Against the Mocs, Murrell drained a career-high six three-pointers -- the most by a Rebel since Devontae Shuler nailed six threes against Wichita State on Jan. 2, 2021. In his career, Murrell has hit five or more threes four times, while also notching eight games with at least four, 13 with at least three, 25 with multiple threes, and he had a 25-consecutive game streak with at least one three made snapped against Stanford on Nov. 24. Murrell has been a legit scoring threat since he stepped foot on campus as Ole Miss' highest-rated signee of the Davis era, but he has been especially lights-out since the start of last conference season. Late last year, Murrell eclipsed 20 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career over his last three regular season games, averaging 22.5 points and 3.5 threes made across two strong outings vs. Texas A&M (20 points) and at No. 6 Kentucky (25 points) -- a stretch in which he shot 57.7 percent overall and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. All four of Murrell's 20-point games came in SEC play last season, topped by a superb 31-point outing vs. Mississippi State on Jan. 8.
RENAISSANCE MAN
Senior transfer Myles Burns has made an immediate impact for the Rebels on both ends of the floor with a unique talent blend as a defensive force and a go-getter on the offensive glass. Burns ranks third in the SEC and No. 14 in the NCAA at 2.6 steals per game, while also ranking sixth in the conference at 2.8 offensive boards per game.
Prior to Ole Miss, Burns had an extraordinary career at Loyola New Orleans, where he was a four-time NAIA All-American and three-time SSAC Defensive Player of the Year. With the Wolf Pack, Burns played in 120 career games with 111 starts, while setting career averages of 15.3 points (1,852), 8.8 rebounds (1,069), 3.0 steals (358), 2.5 assists (298) and 1.0 blocks (116). In Loyola's record book, Burns ranks No. 1 in steals (358), No. 2 all-time in points (1,852), No. 2 in rebounds (1,069), No. 4 in blocks (116) and No. 7 in assists (298), with his 358 steals resting 163 more than any other player in Loyola history. Burns helped lead Loyola to the 2022 NAIA National Championship title, the first in school history since 1945, as the tournament MVP at 19.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.2 steals with four double-doubles in six tournament games.
Burns is no stranger to dominating these two distinct statistical categories, as his 151 offensive rebounds and 152 steals in 2021-22 had no rival in all of college basketball, with the nearest Division I comparison being defending national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky, who had 179 offensive rebounds and 60 steals last season. Furthermore, Burns' 152 steals last season earned him the 2022 Marques Haynes Award, which is given annually to the player with the most steals in all of college basketball, regardless of division.
MURRELL NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SEC
Ole Miss junior Matthew Murrell was honored by the league head coaches, earning Second-Team Preseason All-SEC in recognition of his sharp-shooting prowess last season. Murrell – a native of Memphis, Tennessee – is among the best three-point shooters and all-around guards returning from SEC action last year after ending the 2021-22 conference season ranked second in three-point shooting (.426), third in threes per game (2.5), sixth in minutes per game (34.1), eighth in field goal shooting (.466) and ninth in scoring (15.5). Murrell accounted for 26.6 percent of all three-pointers made by the Rebels last season, and he especially turned it on late, averaging 20.0 points and 3.0 threes over his final three games, as well as 16.3 points and 2.5 threes over his final eight games.
Sparking that SEC season stretch for Murrell was a historic outing versus in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8, where he was nearly perfect in a bombastic 31-point outing against the Bulldogs. Murrell that day became only the third Rebel to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, and he is the only Rebel to do so against an SEC opponent during the regular season. Murrell was also 6-of-6 from the free throw line, with his lone blemish coming from within the arc in the closing minutes to end 10-of-11 overall from the field.
Murrell was also big when the spotlight was on against ranked opponents, averaging 15.0 points while shooting 42.9 percent overall and 45 percent from three in six games against AP Top-25 schools. Included in those six were two Ole Miss victories over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4 and No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1, during which Murrell averaged 14.0 points for the Rebels.
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' four senior transfers are among some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands as one of the best returners in the nation this year, currently fourth in total rebounds (1,050), fifth in total blocks (244), fifth in career double-doubles (38), ninth in rebounds per game (9.1), 10th in blocks per game (2.1) and 22nd in field goal shooting (.611). McKinnis is one of just five active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel (1,160), North Carolina's Armando Bacot (1,134), Nicholls' Manny Littles (1,067), and Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah (1,012). He is also just one of four, alongside Samuel, Bacot, and Asadullah with 1,000 career points (1,128) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss is one of two schools with multiple top-20 rebounders on the active career list alongside Texas Tech. McKinnis (1,050) and Josh Mballa (825; No. 19) combine for 1,875 career rebounds, the most among teammates ahead of Texas Tech's 1,874 from Fardaws Almaq (918) and Kevin Obanor (956).
Ole Miss also ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries. McKinnis ranks fifth at 244 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 10th at 195. Ole Miss stands as one of just two schools with multiple top-25 active blockers alongside Gardner-Webb, but the Rebels are the only school with two within the top-10. The Rebel trio of McKinnis (38, No. 5), Mballa (29, No. 14) and Akwuba (17) combine for 84 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates at 67 behind Texas Tech's Almaq (41) and Obanor (36) at 77.
* Note: Myles Burns' 1,069 career rebounds while at NAIA Loyola New Orleans do not transfer over to the NCAA records lists, but he would rank second in the nation at 1,151 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,365 boards between Burns (1,151), McKinnis (1,050), Mballa (825), Akwuba (670) and Robert Allen (669). Burns' combined career total of 1,938 points would also rank No. 16 among all NCAA divisions.
AIN'T WASTING TIME NO MORE
With eight new faces for Ole Miss this season, the Rebel newcomers are already seeing serious minutes and have contributed to the team's 8-4 start.
Newcomer Splits:
Minutes: 53.0% (1,272 of 2,400)
Scoring: 48.1% (404 of 840)
Rebounding: 52.2% (241 of 462)
Assists: 48.7% (77 of 158)
Steals: 59.8% (61 of 102)
Blocks: 81.0% (47 of 58)
Newcomer Scoring:
vs. Alcorn State: 29 of 73 (39.7%)
vs. Florida Atlantic: 36 of 80 (45.0%)
vs. Chattanooga: 33 of 70 (47.1%)
vs. UT Martin: 35 of 72 (48.6%)
vs. Stanford: 48 of 72 (66.7%)
vs. Siena: 37 of 74 (50.0%)
vs. Stanford: 39 of 55 (70.1%)
at Memphis: 32 of 57 (56.1%)
vs. Valparaiso: 27 of 98 (27.6%)
vs. UCF: 38 of 61 (62.3%)
vs. Temple: 24 of 63 (38.1%)
vs. Tennessee: 26 of 65 (40%)
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
After missing the final month of the season last year and first seven games of the 2022-23 season, Daeshun Ruffin returned to action on Dec. 3 against Memphis, coming off the bench and playing 14 minutes. Tearing his ACL at No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1 last season following an incredible effort to help the Rebels earn their second AP Top-25 win of the year, Ruffin's return this season was delayed due to a minor bone bruise. In five games since his return he ranks second on the team with 9.6 points per game and leads the team with 3.6 assists per contest while averaging 18.9 minutes.
Last year against LSU, Ruffin led Ole Miss with 19 points, three assists and two steals alongside a 6-of-11 line from the field, a 2-of-4 clip from three and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line in 20 minutes of action. Ruffin had been electric since returning to the team following an eight-game absence due to a broken right hand suffered in last year's season opener against New Orleans. On the season, Ruffin averaged a team-high 2.3 steals per game and led the Rebels with a 52-of-69 (.754) clip from the charity stripe, to go along with 12.6 points, 3.4 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. In SEC season he was just as impressive against some of the best in the nation, ranking at the time of his injury second in the conference in SEC-only action in steals (2.7/game), ninth in free throw shooting (.833) and 10th in assists (3.9/game).
Ruffin was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 31 – the first such honor by a Rebel since Jarvis Summers on Dec. 5, 2011. His honor came courtesy of an excellent three-game stretch from Jan. 24-29, during which he averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals with a 19-of-24 (.792) mark from the free throw line – at one point hitting 14 in a row during those three games. Included in there is a career-high 21 points vs. Florida on Jan. 24, with 15 of those points coming in the second half. In just 14 career games played, Ruffin had scored in double-digits in 10, scored 15 or more in six contests, and had multiple steals in nine games. Ruffin was on pace to break Elston Turner's 1978 record for steals by a freshman of 47, but ended his season at 32 swipes. Ruffin came to Ole Miss following a superb high school career at Callaway High School in Jackson, Miss., joining as the first McDonald's All-American signee in program history.
BEWARE THE REBELS
Ole Miss has been a thorn in the side of nationally ranked teams, as the Rebels have notched five AP Top-25 victories over the 19 months after a 76-72 victory over No. 25 LSU -- Ole Miss' first win in Baton Rouge since 2013. Since a 52-50 win at home vs. No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 2, 2021, Ole Miss has gone 5-3 against ranked squads. Under Kermit Davis, the Rebels have beaten seven top-25 opponents. Following its 67-63 upset over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4, Ole Miss notched its fourth consecutive Top-25 win for just the second time in school history. The other such occurrence came across the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, when Ole Miss ripped off four in a row against No. 6 Florida on Feb. 16, 2002 (68-51), No. 6 Alabama on March 3, 2002 (84-56), at No. 23 LSU the following season on Jan. 18, 2003 (67-57), and three days later vs. No. 15 Alabama on Jan. 21, 2003 (76-57). The latest streak came against No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 2, 2021 (52-50), No. 10 Missouri on Feb. 10, 2021 (80-59) and at No. 24 Missouri on Feb. 23, 2021 before the win vs. Memphis. This was also the first time since 2001 that Ole Miss won against four ranked teams within the same calendar year. That season the Rebels did so five times against No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 10 (87-71), No. 20 Alabama on March 3 (105-71), No. 5 Florida in the SEC Tournament (74-69), No. 19 Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament (59-56) and the following season against No. 22 Memphis on Dec. 7 (71-67).
2020-21 / 2021-22
Feb. 2, 2021 - vs. #10 Tennessee (52-50)
Feb. 10, 2021 - vs. #10 Missouri (80-59)
Feb. 23, 2021 - at #24 Missouri (60-53)
Dec. 4, 2021 - vs. #18 Memphis (67-63)
2001-02 / 2002-03
Feb. 16, 2002 - vs. #6 Florida (68-51)
March 3, 2002 - vs. #6 Alabama (84-56)
Jan. 18, 2003 - at #23 LSU (67-57)
Jan. 21, 2003 - vs. #15 Alabama (76-57)
| OLE MISS (8-4, 0-0 SEC) vs. #7 TENNESSEE (10-2, 0-0 SEC) Wednesday, Dec. 28 • 4 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) 
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OXFORD, Miss. – The eighth-most played opponent in Ole Miss men's basketball history, the Rebels are looking to even the series at 27-27 when playing in Oxford against the Vols, as they host Tennessee on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. in the SJB Pavilion.
TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (8-4, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis • 5th Season at Ole Miss (72-65) • 541-328 career record (28th Season)
#7 Tennessee Volunteers (10-2, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Rick Barnes • 8th Season at Tennessee (160-83) • 764-397 career record (36th Season)
ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Courtney Lyle
Color: Mark Wise
OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Eli Savoie
Color: Marc Dukes
SERIES HISTORY VS. TENNESSEE
The eighth-most played series in Ole Miss men's basketball history continues with the 122nd meeting, as Tennessee enters the series with a 76-45 lead. The Rebels trail by only one game when playing in Oxford (26 wins to 27 losses), and have evened the series over the past 14 meetings at seven wins each. The two programs first met on January 28th and 29th in 1924, with the Rebels taking the first two games by a score of 36-17 and 24-13, both played in Oxford. The Vols and Rebs first met in the postseason on March 3, 1938 in the SEC Tournament, with Ole Miss picking up the win 45-40. The Rebels own a 7-5 all-time record when meeting Tennessee in the postseason, last matching up in the SEC Tournament on March 6, 2012 where Ole Miss won a 77-72 overtime game (also giving the Rebels a 5-1 record against Tennessee in overtime games at the time).
LAST MEETING: JANUARY 5, 2022 (L, 60-66 (OT), KNOXVILLE, TENN., THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA)
• The Rebels took an early lead on the 18th-ranked Vols, up 21-19 at the half.
• The Vols climbed back in to force overtime, before winning by six in the extra five-minute period.
• Tye Fagan scored a career-best 23 points, connecting on five makes from three. Matthew Murrell added 17 points with four three-pointers.
AN OLE MISS WIN WOULD...
...give the Rebels nine wins in a season before the new calendar year for the third time under Kermit Davis.
...even the series at 27 wins each between Ole Miss and Tennessee when playing in Oxford.
...give Ole Miss their eighth win over a ranked opponent under Kermit Davis, and their second over a top-10 foe.
ANOTHER ONE
With an average of 13.3 offensive rebounds per game, the Rebels have been among the best in the country in earning second chances on the glass, currently ranking 21st in college basketball in offensive boards per game. The team is led by senior transfer Myles Burns with 34 offensive rebounds (2.8 per game, 6th in the SEC).
DAE-FFICIENT
Ranking second on the team with an average of 9.6 points per game, Daeshun Ruffin has taken advantage of his time on the court since returning from injury on Dec. 3rd at Memphis. Scoring 48 points in 94 minutes, Ruffin leads the team in points per 40-minutes at 20.4.
WHEN IT COUNTS
Ole Miss has been especially strong in the second half this season, shooting 48.4 percent overall in the back half while outscoring opponents 458-389 (38.2 points per second half, +5.8 scoring margin). Additionally, the Rebels have put up a +4.1 rebounding margin in the second half this season, while junior Matthew Murrell is averaging 9.2 points per second half this season. At the ESPN Events Invitational, Ole Miss shot a blistering 55 percent overall, led by 14.3 points per second half by Amaree Abram, who was also 5-of-6 from three and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the back half.
DEEP POCKETS
The Rebels' depth has been on full display to begin the season, as the Ole Miss bench has accounted for over a third of the team's scoring through their first 12 games (37.4%, 314 of 840 points). The Rebs have topped their opponents in bench points in nine of 12 contests, and are outscoring their foes' benches by 130 on the year (314 to 184). Their 26.2 points per game off the bench rank fourth in the SEC.
MM11
Junior Matthew Murrell has wasted no time lighting the net on fire this season, picking up right where he left off last season as one of the most feared three-point shooters nationwide. Murrell ranks 11th in the SEC in threes per game (2.3) and tied for seventh in total threes made (27). His 15.6 points per game average is tied for eighth in the conference, and he has eclipsed 20 points in four games this season. Against the Mocs, Murrell drained a career-high six three-pointers -- the most by a Rebel since Devontae Shuler nailed six threes against Wichita State on Jan. 2, 2021. In his career, Murrell has hit five or more threes four times, while also notching eight games with at least four, 13 with at least three, 25 with multiple threes, and he had a 25-consecutive game streak with at least one three made snapped against Stanford on Nov. 24. Murrell has been a legit scoring threat since he stepped foot on campus as Ole Miss' highest-rated signee of the Davis era, but he has been especially lights-out since the start of last conference season. Late last year, Murrell eclipsed 20 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career over his last three regular season games, averaging 22.5 points and 3.5 threes made across two strong outings vs. Texas A&M (20 points) and at No. 6 Kentucky (25 points) -- a stretch in which he shot 57.7 percent overall and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. All four of Murrell's 20-point games came in SEC play last season, topped by a superb 31-point outing vs. Mississippi State on Jan. 8.
RENAISSANCE MAN
Senior transfer Myles Burns has made an immediate impact for the Rebels on both ends of the floor with a unique talent blend as a defensive force and a go-getter on the offensive glass. Burns ranks third in the SEC and No. 14 in the NCAA at 2.6 steals per game, while also ranking sixth in the conference at 2.8 offensive boards per game.
Prior to Ole Miss, Burns had an extraordinary career at Loyola New Orleans, where he was a four-time NAIA All-American and three-time SSAC Defensive Player of the Year. With the Wolf Pack, Burns played in 120 career games with 111 starts, while setting career averages of 15.3 points (1,852), 8.8 rebounds (1,069), 3.0 steals (358), 2.5 assists (298) and 1.0 blocks (116). In Loyola's record book, Burns ranks No. 1 in steals (358), No. 2 all-time in points (1,852), No. 2 in rebounds (1,069), No. 4 in blocks (116) and No. 7 in assists (298), with his 358 steals resting 163 more than any other player in Loyola history. Burns helped lead Loyola to the 2022 NAIA National Championship title, the first in school history since 1945, as the tournament MVP at 19.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.2 steals with four double-doubles in six tournament games.
Burns is no stranger to dominating these two distinct statistical categories, as his 151 offensive rebounds and 152 steals in 2021-22 had no rival in all of college basketball, with the nearest Division I comparison being defending national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky, who had 179 offensive rebounds and 60 steals last season. Furthermore, Burns' 152 steals last season earned him the 2022 Marques Haynes Award, which is given annually to the player with the most steals in all of college basketball, regardless of division.
MURRELL NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SEC
Ole Miss junior Matthew Murrell was honored by the league head coaches, earning Second-Team Preseason All-SEC in recognition of his sharp-shooting prowess last season. Murrell – a native of Memphis, Tennessee – is among the best three-point shooters and all-around guards returning from SEC action last year after ending the 2021-22 conference season ranked second in three-point shooting (.426), third in threes per game (2.5), sixth in minutes per game (34.1), eighth in field goal shooting (.466) and ninth in scoring (15.5). Murrell accounted for 26.6 percent of all three-pointers made by the Rebels last season, and he especially turned it on late, averaging 20.0 points and 3.0 threes over his final three games, as well as 16.3 points and 2.5 threes over his final eight games.
Sparking that SEC season stretch for Murrell was a historic outing versus in-state rival Mississippi State on Jan. 8, where he was nearly perfect in a bombastic 31-point outing against the Bulldogs. Murrell that day became only the third Rebel to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, and he is the only Rebel to do so against an SEC opponent during the regular season. Murrell was also 6-of-6 from the free throw line, with his lone blemish coming from within the arc in the closing minutes to end 10-of-11 overall from the field.
Murrell was also big when the spotlight was on against ranked opponents, averaging 15.0 points while shooting 42.9 percent overall and 45 percent from three in six games against AP Top-25 schools. Included in those six were two Ole Miss victories over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4 and No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1, during which Murrell averaged 14.0 points for the Rebels.
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' four senior transfers are among some of the best returning big men in all of college basketball. Jayveous McKinnis stands as one of the best returners in the nation this year, currently fourth in total rebounds (1,050), fifth in total blocks (244), fifth in career double-doubles (38), ninth in rebounds per game (9.1), 10th in blocks per game (2.1) and 22nd in field goal shooting (.611). McKinnis is one of just five active players in all of college basketball with 1,000 career rebounds alongside South Alabama's Kevin Samuel (1,160), North Carolina's Armando Bacot (1,134), Nicholls' Manny Littles (1,067), and Lipscomb's Ahsan Asadullah (1,012). He is also just one of four, alongside Samuel, Bacot, and Asadullah with 1,000 career points (1,128) and 1,000 career rebounds.
Ole Miss is one of two schools with multiple top-20 rebounders on the active career list alongside Texas Tech. McKinnis (1,050) and Josh Mballa (825; No. 19) combine for 1,875 career rebounds, the most among teammates ahead of Texas Tech's 1,874 from Fardaws Almaq (918) and Kevin Obanor (956).
Ole Miss also ranks highly on the career blocks list with two top-10 entries. McKinnis ranks fifth at 244 swats, while Theo Akwuba is 10th at 195. Ole Miss stands as one of just two schools with multiple top-25 active blockers alongside Gardner-Webb, but the Rebels are the only school with two within the top-10. The Rebel trio of McKinnis (38, No. 5), Mballa (29, No. 14) and Akwuba (17) combine for 84 career double-doubles, with McKinnis and Mballa owning the second-most by a pair of teammates at 67 behind Texas Tech's Almaq (41) and Obanor (36) at 77.
* Note: Myles Burns' 1,069 career rebounds while at NAIA Loyola New Orleans do not transfer over to the NCAA records lists, but he would rank second in the nation at 1,151 if they did and give Ole Miss a combined 4,365 boards between Burns (1,151), McKinnis (1,050), Mballa (825), Akwuba (670) and Robert Allen (669). Burns' combined career total of 1,938 points would also rank No. 16 among all NCAA divisions.
AIN'T WASTING TIME NO MORE
With eight new faces for Ole Miss this season, the Rebel newcomers are already seeing serious minutes and have contributed to the team's 8-4 start.
Newcomer Splits:
Minutes: 53.0% (1,272 of 2,400)
Scoring: 48.1% (404 of 840)
Rebounding: 52.2% (241 of 462)
Assists: 48.7% (77 of 158)
Steals: 59.8% (61 of 102)
Blocks: 81.0% (47 of 58)
Newcomer Scoring:
vs. Alcorn State: 29 of 73 (39.7%)
vs. Florida Atlantic: 36 of 80 (45.0%)
vs. Chattanooga: 33 of 70 (47.1%)
vs. UT Martin: 35 of 72 (48.6%)
vs. Stanford: 48 of 72 (66.7%)
vs. Siena: 37 of 74 (50.0%)
vs. Stanford: 39 of 55 (70.1%)
at Memphis: 32 of 57 (56.1%)
vs. Valparaiso: 27 of 98 (27.6%)
vs. UCF: 38 of 61 (62.3%)
vs. Temple: 24 of 63 (38.1%)
vs. Tennessee: 26 of 65 (40%)
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
After missing the final month of the season last year and first seven games of the 2022-23 season, Daeshun Ruffin returned to action on Dec. 3 against Memphis, coming off the bench and playing 14 minutes. Tearing his ACL at No. 25 LSU on Feb. 1 last season following an incredible effort to help the Rebels earn their second AP Top-25 win of the year, Ruffin's return this season was delayed due to a minor bone bruise. In five games since his return he ranks second on the team with 9.6 points per game and leads the team with 3.6 assists per contest while averaging 18.9 minutes.
Last year against LSU, Ruffin led Ole Miss with 19 points, three assists and two steals alongside a 6-of-11 line from the field, a 2-of-4 clip from three and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line in 20 minutes of action. Ruffin had been electric since returning to the team following an eight-game absence due to a broken right hand suffered in last year's season opener against New Orleans. On the season, Ruffin averaged a team-high 2.3 steals per game and led the Rebels with a 52-of-69 (.754) clip from the charity stripe, to go along with 12.6 points, 3.4 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. In SEC season he was just as impressive against some of the best in the nation, ranking at the time of his injury second in the conference in SEC-only action in steals (2.7/game), ninth in free throw shooting (.833) and 10th in assists (3.9/game).
Ruffin was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 31 – the first such honor by a Rebel since Jarvis Summers on Dec. 5, 2011. His honor came courtesy of an excellent three-game stretch from Jan. 24-29, during which he averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals with a 19-of-24 (.792) mark from the free throw line – at one point hitting 14 in a row during those three games. Included in there is a career-high 21 points vs. Florida on Jan. 24, with 15 of those points coming in the second half. In just 14 career games played, Ruffin had scored in double-digits in 10, scored 15 or more in six contests, and had multiple steals in nine games. Ruffin was on pace to break Elston Turner's 1978 record for steals by a freshman of 47, but ended his season at 32 swipes. Ruffin came to Ole Miss following a superb high school career at Callaway High School in Jackson, Miss., joining as the first McDonald's All-American signee in program history.
BEWARE THE REBELS
Ole Miss has been a thorn in the side of nationally ranked teams, as the Rebels have notched five AP Top-25 victories over the 19 months after a 76-72 victory over No. 25 LSU -- Ole Miss' first win in Baton Rouge since 2013. Since a 52-50 win at home vs. No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 2, 2021, Ole Miss has gone 5-3 against ranked squads. Under Kermit Davis, the Rebels have beaten seven top-25 opponents. Following its 67-63 upset over No. 18 Memphis on Dec. 4, Ole Miss notched its fourth consecutive Top-25 win for just the second time in school history. The other such occurrence came across the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, when Ole Miss ripped off four in a row against No. 6 Florida on Feb. 16, 2002 (68-51), No. 6 Alabama on March 3, 2002 (84-56), at No. 23 LSU the following season on Jan. 18, 2003 (67-57), and three days later vs. No. 15 Alabama on Jan. 21, 2003 (76-57). The latest streak came against No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 2, 2021 (52-50), No. 10 Missouri on Feb. 10, 2021 (80-59) and at No. 24 Missouri on Feb. 23, 2021 before the win vs. Memphis. This was also the first time since 2001 that Ole Miss won against four ranked teams within the same calendar year. That season the Rebels did so five times against No. 10 Tennessee on Feb. 10 (87-71), No. 20 Alabama on March 3 (105-71), No. 5 Florida in the SEC Tournament (74-69), No. 19 Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament (59-56) and the following season against No. 22 Memphis on Dec. 7 (71-67).
2020-21 / 2021-22
Feb. 2, 2021 - vs. #10 Tennessee (52-50)
Feb. 10, 2021 - vs. #10 Missouri (80-59)
Feb. 23, 2021 - at #24 Missouri (60-53)
Dec. 4, 2021 - vs. #18 Memphis (67-63)
2001-02 / 2002-03
Feb. 16, 2002 - vs. #6 Florida (68-51)
March 3, 2002 - vs. #6 Alabama (84-56)
Jan. 18, 2003 - at #23 LSU (67-57)
Jan. 21, 2003 - vs. #15 Alabama (76-57)
